PrintThe goal of this lesson is for you to apply the knowledge you've gained in the first Module to a contemporary artifact in energy and sustainability. Pick one of the themes below to analyze. I strongly suggest taking a look at the assignment details prior to reading and/or listening to it, and before deciding which theme to analyze. This will help frame your thinking and home in on key details. I also suggest at least browsing through each of the selections below in order to make a well-informed choice regarding which theme to analyze.
The assignment is to analyze and post about one. If you analyze more than one, you may earn more Yellowdig points, but it isn't necessary if your first post is engaging and thorough. You are encouraged to go through each of the selections, as these are all really important contemporary issues. However, your only required to analyze one.
Theme 1: Degrowth: An Alternative to Late Capitalism
In this podcast, the folks at Vox explore the concept of degrowth, which puts a name to something that we have explored in this course. While there is not one universal definition to point to, degrowth refers to minimizing and/or eliminating the influence of GDP on economic policy and instead pursuing quality of life and sustainable use of natural resources. In order to do this, wealthy countries in particular must stop growing economically, and even shrink. If you choose this topic, base your discussion board post this week on this artifact.
To Read/Listen to Now
In addition to the podcast, you should read through this article and video about degrowth from the World Economic Forum as well as this article from The Conversation. These are meant to help you think about degrowth and its pros and cons.
- "Blame Capitalism: Degrowing pains," from Vox's podcast Today, Explained. You can listen to the podcast by clicking on the "Play," but the full transcript is also available on the same page. You can also access the podcast (along with the rest of the podcasts in the Today, Explained series) here.
Theme 2: How to Decarbonize the U.S.
As you can see by the title, this is a pretty big topic! As you all know, the U.S. needs to decarbonize (become carbon neutral) by around 2050, and the world soon after. Okay, that makes sense; but how do we actually make that happen? It is not as if we can wave a magic wand and convert everything to renewables! Even if we could do that, the grid would need to be remade and things such as storage and smart grid technology would need to be ubiquitous. There are many other questions to be answered. As demand continues to rise, do we have enough land to accommodate the new generation and infrastructure? What will we do for liquid fuels? How much will this cost? And more. This podcast guest does a great job of explaining the devilish details involved in the necessary transition to decarbonization. You may want to review Lesson 4 prior to listening to this.
To Read/Listen to Now
In this podcast, Jesse Jenkins of Stanford University talks to Ezra Klein (my favorite news & information podcaster) about different pathways to decarbonization in the U.S. If you choose this topic, base your discussion board post this week on this artifact.
You may want to review Lesson 4 for this course. You may also want to browse the Net Zero America website, which this interview is partially based on. (The site was created by the Princeton ZERO lab, which Professor Jenkings leads.) If you are not familiar with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), you may also want to browse "The Inflation Reduction Act: Here’s what’s in it" by McKinsey & Company and the one page summary of the IRA from Democratic Senators.
- "The Single Best Guide to Decarbonization I've Ever Heard," an interview with Jesse Jenkins by Ezra Klien on The Ezra Klein Show. You can listen to the podcast by clicking on the "Play" link at the bottom of the page (I suggest listening), but the full transcript is also available here. If you are a NYTimes subscriber, here is a link to the podcast on their website.
Theme 3: The Real Cost of Meat
In another The Ezra Klein Show podcast, Leah Garcés discusses the true costs (externalities alert!) of that all American pastime: Eating meat. Lots and lots of meat. According to Our World in Data, Americans ate nearly 300 pounds of meat in 2020, and according to Ms. Garcés, we were projected to eat almost a pound a day in 2022. While it may be delicious (depending very much on personal preference), eating meat has a host of sustainability and animal welfare impacts.
To Read/Listen to Now
In this podcast, Ezra Klein talks to Leah Garcés about the many (deliberately) hiddent impacts of the meat industry. If you choose this topic, base your discussion board post this week on this artifact.
- "The Hidden Costs of Cheap Meat," an interview with eah Garcés by Ezra Klien on The Ezra Klein Show. You can listen to the podcast by clicking on the "Play" link at the bottom of the page (I suggest listening), but the full transcript is also available here. If you are a NYTimes subscriber, here is a link to the podcast on their website.